Power drive and locking mechanism for



June 19, 1956 w. A. BARNES ET'AL 2,750,829

POWER DRIVE AND LOCKING MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTABLE JAW WRENCHES Filed Aug. 18 1953 RESIN U mMMK flu V.R W MAJ. M R A um .1. M W W B United States Patent POWER DRIVE AND LOCKING MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTABLE JAW WRENCHES William A. Barnes, Utica, and Walter J. Rozmus, Whitesboro, N. Y., assignors to Utica Drop Forge & Tool Corporation, a corporation of New York Application August 18, 1953, Serial No. 374,869

4 Claims. (Cl. 81-165) This invention relates in general to adjustable jaw wrenches, such as sliding side jaw wrenches, and relates more specifically to improved locking and power drive for the adjusting mechanism of such wrenches.

An important object of this invention is to provide locking means for the movable jaw by locking the actuating worm.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a drive means for the adjusting mechanism with a clutch between the drive means and the adjusting mechanism in order to selectively engage or disengage the adjusting mechanism and the drive means and to provide a handle for the drive means which can be locked against rotation to hold the adjustment means in a fixed position or rotated to drive the adjusting mechanism and therefore power drive the wrench adjustment.

And another object of this invention is to provide a push button lock and disengagement for the adjustment mechanism that does not interfere with normal usage by extending obtrusively from the wrench and providing a power drive handle which can be extended when desired.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a sliding jaw adjustable wrench provided with the improved features of this invention, the actuating mechanism being in the lock position;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a partial side edge view taken from Figure 1 as indicated by the line 5-5; and

Figure 6 is a partial plan view of the actuating mechanism in the unlocked position.

The present invention may be applied to many different types of adjustable wrenches, particularly those adjustable wrenches which have an adjustalbe jaw moved to the desired position by the means of a rack and worm gear. A common example of this type of adjustable wrench is the well-known sliding side jaw wrench. Because of the well-known nature of the sliding side jaw wrench, this invention is illustrated in conjunction with such a wrench. It is to be understood that the features of this invention may very well be adapted to other types of adjustable jaw wrenches.

In the drawing, the sliding side jaw wrench is indicated by the reference character 10. The wrench 10 is of the usual form having a wrench body 11 with a fixed jaw 12 and a sliding jaw 13. A lateral opening 14 through the body 11 is provided to house a worm gear 16. Rack teeth 15 on the jaw 13 intermesh with worm gear 16 in the usual manner for longitudinal adjustment of jaw 13 with respect to jaw 12.

2,750,829 Patented June 19, 1956 There have been many different types of locking mechanisms provided for holding the worm 16 in a fixed position in order to prevent the jaw 13 from moving from a selected position of adjustment. However, in addition to holding the jaw 13 stationary, it is often desirable to be able to drive the jaw 13 toward the jaw 12 with greater force than could normally be applied by gripping the worm 16 with the fingers. There has recently been developed a drive mechanism embodying a one piece structure serving as a central shaft for the worm 16 and as a handle to drive the central shaft portion. Clutching surfaces are provided to selectively engage or disengage the shaft with the worm in driving relationship in order to employ the power drive structure only when desired. This structure provides locking of jaw 13 with respect to jaw 12 only by reason of the fact that the position of the one piece handle and drive mechanism may be more easily controlled than the loosely fitting worm which locks the same on all sides.

The improved structure of this invention comprises a first drive means to drive the worm 16, with a clutch between the first drive means and the worm, and a second drive means to drive the first drive means. A jointed structure between the two drive members enables the second drive means to be pivoted against the wrench body in an out-of-the-way position at all times unless actually desired for driving the jaw 13. During normal operation, and in the locking position, the drive handle is tucked away against the side of the wrench and is not an obtrusive structure hindering normal use of the wrench.

The first drive means to drive the worm is illustrated in the form of a shaft 20 having a bearing end 21 which fits into a suitable recess within the body 11 in the usual manner, and a bearing portion 23 which fits into a bore on the opposite side of the opening 14, also in the usual manner. However, instead of locking the shaft 20 into a fixed position, a degree of axial shiftability is provided. In the illustrated embodiment, the shaft 20 is provided with a hexagon shaped clutch portion 22 and the worm 16 is provided with a corresponding socket clutch portion 25. Thus, by axially shifting the shaft 20, the portion 22 may be shifted into and out of engagement in the socket clutch portion 25 of worm 16. This is an example of a suitable clutch between the first drive means and the manual device or worm 16 used to adjust the jaw. Other suitable shiftable clutch devices may be employed. The Worm 16 is supported upon the bearing portion 23 of shaft 20 by passing the portion 23 through a bore 26 through the worm 16.

A second drive means, or handle 30, is hinged to the end of the shaft 20 in order that the handle 30 may be engaged to the body 11 and yet allow the shaft 20 to shift as described. An example of a suitable means to pivotally join the shaft 20 and the handle 30 and yet prevent relative rotation therebetween is illustrated as a non-circular end 24 on the shaft 20 passing through a wrench slot 31 through the handle 30. The end of the shaft 20 is then headed as indicated by the reference character 27 to prevent the handle 30 from passing oil of the end of the shaft 20. Obviously, other very suit.

able hinged structures may be provided if desired. The head 27 also provides a convenient push-button for endwise movement of shaft 20.

The handle 30 is made to serve as a push button to operate the axial shifting of shaft 20 without obtrusively extending from the wrench body 11. The handle 30 is curved substantially as illustrated in Figure l with a fulcrum pin 32 intermediate the ends of the handle. Two wings 33 extend on either side of the handle portion of wrench body 11 and hold the handle 30 against rotation with respect to the body 11. In Figure l, the

3 handle 30 is shown with the outermost portion flat against the side of the handle of the wrench. In such position, the clutch portion 22 is pulled into the socket 25 to lock the worm 16 against rotation and, consequently, lock the jaw 13 against movement. See Figure 2.

In Figure 6, the handle 30 is shown in the position assumed when the shaft 20 is axially shifted to disengage the clutch parts 22 and 25 to allow free movement of worm 16 and jaw 13.

The handle is preferably held by a releasable engagement means to the body 11 in order that it will not swing away from the body 11 and interfere with normal usage of the wrench as is the case with the type of mechanism wherein the shaft 20 and handle 30 are one integral piece. An example of a means for conveniently holding the handle 30 releasably attached to the body 11 is shown by the detent indentations 34 and 36. The end of handle 30 is slotted as indicated by the reference character 37 for resiliency to allow the wings 33 to be forced apart by pulling on the handle 30. Thus, the end of handle 30 has a snap-lock retention feature whereby the handle 30 is pivoted about the fulcrum 32 to move the shaft 20 into different locked or unlocked clutching positions, and the detents 34 and 36 hold the handle 30 engaged with the body 11.

As long as the tool is to be used with manual adjustment of the jaws by means of the worm 16, the handle 30 remains engaged with the body 11. By pivoting the handle 30, the worm 16 is either locked or unlocked as desired. In either event, the handle 30 does not obstruct the free use of the wrench in normal manner.

However, when it is desired to tighten the jaw 13 against a workpiece held between the jaw 13 and the jaw 12, the handle 30 is forced away from the body 11 by springing the detents and the wing tips and, thereafter, the handle 30 may be used as a drive means to forcibly rotate the worm 16 atfer the shaft 20 has been moved to engage the clutch parts. Once the parts are tightened to a selected degree upon the workpiece, the clutch parts may be disengaged and the handle 30 moved back into its engaged position upon the body 11. Re-engagement of the clutch parts to hold the worm 16 is unnecessary because of the extreme friction coetficient produced by manually driving the jaws into a vice grip upon a workpiece.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrench having a wrench body and at least one movable jaw, a manual device to adjust the jaw, a first drive means to drive said manual device, a clutch between said first drive means and said manual device, said first drive means being shiftable to move the clutch between a clutch engaging and a clutch disengaging position, a second drive means, relatively non-rotatable joint means joining said first and second drive means; and releasable holding means pivotally joining said second drive means to said wrench body, whereby said first drive means may be moved between said positions without releasing said second drive means from said wrench body to lock or release said manual device, and whereby said second drive means may be released from said body to drive the manual means when said first drive means is in said clutching position.

2. In a slidable side jaw wrench provided with a worm and rack form of adjusting means for the slidable jaw, the improvement of which includes a worm-adjusting means, complementary clutching and de-clutching formations between said worm and Worm-adjusting means respectively; said worm-adjusting means being movable from a position in which the clutching and de-clutching formations are disengaged to a position in which they are engaged; a relatively non-rotatable and jointed wormadjusting means including a torque applying means for rotating said worm when the clutching and de-clutching formations are engaged, and for locking the worm and slidable jaw in work clamping position; said worm-adjusting means, when the cluthing and de-clutching formation are in disengaged position being freely rotatable with respect to the worm in order that the worm may be manually adjusted in the ordinary manner.

3. In a slidable side jaw wrench provided with a worm and rack form of adjusting means for the slidable jaw, the improvement of which includes a worm-adjusting means, complementary clutching formations between the said worm and worm-adjusting means respectively; said worm-adjusting means being movable from a position in which the clutching formations are disengaged into a position in which they are engaged; a torque applying handle means, relatively non-rotatable joint means joining said worm-adjusting means and torque applying handle means, said torque applying handle means being removably attachable to said wrench and rockable about a fulcrum while attached thereto for applying a force to move the Worm-adjusting means between said disengaged and engaged positions, whereby when the clutching formations are in disengaged position, the worm may be manually adjusted in the ordinary manner; and whereby said worm-adjusting means may be held against rotation by holding the torque applying means engaged with the wrench with the clutching formations engaged, or may be drivingly rotated by disengaging the torque applying handle means from the wrench body.

4. A slidable side jaw wrench having a fixed jaw, an adjustable jaw, a handle, a worm rack form of adjusting means for the adjustable jaw, a central shaft through said worm, clutching formations between said worm and shaft, mounting means mounting said shaft for longitudinal reciprocable movement through said worm between a first position in which the clutching formations are disengaged and a second position in which they are engaged, a torque applying handle means, joint means joining said handle means as a relatively non-rotatable extension of said shaft, said handle means including a saddle having side panels adatped to clip over the wrench handle, detent means removably holding said saddle engaged to said handle but with a freedom to rock longitudinally, and pivot means positioned intermediate the ends of said handle means to aid in rocking said handle, whereby rocking of said handle will engage and dis- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McEnroe May 13, 1952 Finn Nov. 3, 1953 

